,"So that's how it is!" A dark voice came from the tree line of the small open field

A man dressed in all black wearing a purple cloak came walking.

"I see now, you're just going to hide here to make us think you've retreated." He said with a slight grin.

A rugged man with silver hair stood and turned away from the campfire he once sat at.

"So you were able to find us. Pretty impressive for a Zibiru scumbag, even if you are the chieftain." The man blew into the kudu horn he was holding in his hands to gain the attention of his men.

"Tayaire the Timekeeper, It looks like your time has finally come!" The rugged man stood speaking with a confident shout.

Tayaire drew his weapon from a small sheath on his left shoulder, It was a Karambit that he connected to a thin but sturdy chain. Men

came running from several hidden locations, Surrounding Tayaire in a matter of seconds leaving him with nowhere to flee. He spoke under his breath, "Kuma, you fool, you already know how this will end. What are you planning."

"Sorry, my hearing must be going dull with age. What did you just say?" Kuma asked with a smug tone.

"Oh, my bad did I say something?" Tayaire responded, trying to make light of his current situation.

He never had to face a group this large on his own. Tayaire couldn't help but smirk as he assessed his surroundings. Just moments ago, he had envisioned a mere six men gathered around a campfire near the Zibiru tribe's settlement. Now, faced with over thirty formidable opponents, he felt a rush of adrenaline.

"Looks like these visions are playing tricks on me," he thought with a chuckle, fully aware that charging into battle alone would be a gamble.

As he surveyed the twenty or so men in front of him, Tayaire sensed the auras of nine more lurking in the trees, and confidence surged

within him. Tayaire was no stranger to challenges, and this moment only fueled

his determination. The odds might seem against him, but he was ready to turn

the tide.

He spoke up, "If this is the way things are going to play out, I hope you are aware of the consequences that come with your actions. You and your followers will not survive the night!"

Kuma pulled a Flyssa from the sheath on his back and pointed it at Tayaire.

"The first person who brings me the head of Tayaire Zibiru will be awarded in abundance! Now kill him!" As he spoke these words, shouts rang out all around Tayaire.

The Zibiru head warrior prepared himself for a fight, but what he didn't know was that he wasn't the only one under siege.

"The child who is not embraced by the village and cast out will one day return to burn it down to feel its warmth." A woman spoke softly, her voice barely above a whisper, as she recited the final words from an old

book.

She glanced down at her two-year-old son, peacefully asleep in his bed.

"Oh, you're already asleep? I know you usually want me to read this book a couple

more times," she said gently.

With tender care, she tucked a small silk blanket over him and made her way toward the door.

"Now, let me go check on Daddy and your brother," she added with a warm smile, blowing out the candle's light as she prepared to leave the room.

Just as she closed the door, a distant horn sounded, its urgent call breaking the quiet of the night. Suddenly, two council guards appeared, their expressions grave yet respectful.

"Great Wife Ryn, we're truly sorry to disturb you at such a late hour, but we must escort you and your family to a safer place," one of them said earnestly, sensing the weight of the

moment.

Ryn was confused at the words that were spoken.

"What is going on? Is there another assault on the village?" she asked, her mind racing with worry for her husband and son.

She knew that Tayaire had set out to scout the village's perimeter on his own and, given that it was already close to midnight, she expected him to return by now.

"Has my husband come back?"

The guard stared at Ryn, shock washing over him. "The chief isn't with you? We haven't seen him since the last attack," he replied, puzzled by her question.

He wondered how he could reassure the chieftess that Tayaire was safe. "Pardon my rudeness, Great Wife, but we don't have time for questions. Lord Noir has given us a direct order to get you, Teiryn, and Trayner to a safe location. We'll send out a search party as soon as we complete this task." His tone was firm, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

"Okay, let's hurry." Ryn spoke these words as she ran back in the room to pick up the sleeping child and secured him into her arms. Ryn stopped for a moment as panic filled her facial expression, the guards was unsure what to make of her next words.

"Wait, where is Trayner?"

Trayner crept down below a thick tree stump, hoping not to be seen as he watched several men running down the path In front of him.

"I think the kid ran back towards the village." One of the men said to the other three that was following close behind.

They looked in a panic to find him, but had lost the sense of his trail due to a horn sounding off in near proximity to their location.

"Did you hear that horn?" A man with long black hair and a sturdy build questioned his men.

"General Mada, I think that might have been a war horn. Do you think we should go check it out?" A man with burgundy hair, placed

in four  braids to the back of his head

asked in a concerned tone.

General Mada wasn't the type to leave no stone unturned when it came to his duties, and at this moment his job was to find the young heir to the Zibiru legacy. He contemplated on what they should do in their current position. On one end the decision placed upon him could either lead him closer

to securing Trayner, but then again it could lead him in the opposite direction and smack dead in front of enemy lines.

Mada took a few seconds to think over the options that weighed on his mind before choosing what they would do. He was a logical man in the eyes of everyone who met him, able to read multiple steps ahead of anyone when it came down to strategic action.

"Toph and Phar, I need you guys to head back to the village. Search the path for the heir and report back to Noir on any

finding you might come across, He'll give you further instructions." Mada said, wondering if splitting the group would be the best choice of matter.

"What about me general?" The man with the burgundy braids asked in concern.

"Lucus, You will be coming with me in the direction of the horn. We'll figure out what's going on and also report back to Noir when we're done."

Lucus gave Mada a quick nod after hearing his instructions, then the group quickly separated towards their goals.

Trayner lifted his head and began to stand from the stump that he hid at after hearing the guards take leave. He was trying to catch his

breath as thoughts ran through his mind.

"I should head back to the village." He thought trying to control his breathing, which for some reason seemed harder

than normal.

He felt as if there was over a ton of weight on his chest.

"But that horn." He paused looking at the two men, now over a mile away from where

he stood running towards the location that the sound came from.

"It came from the same way that Dad had went!" Trayner said running, following behind Mada and Lucus.